EDITOR’S NOTE: With the late start to this game, Josh Timmers will write up a Rapid Recap that will post shortly after this game is over. Then I will post a full game recap at 8 a.m. CT tomorrow.
Thursday
notes…
- A CUBS POSTSEASON FIRST, PART 1: This is the first postseason in which the Cubs have won multiple games at home when facing elimination: last Thursday, in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series vs. the Padres, and last night in Game 4 of the Division Series vs. the Brewers. They kept their season alive twice in 2017, winning Game 5 of the Division Series at Washington and Game 4 of the Championship Series at home vs. the Dodgers. In 2016, the Cubs won the final three games of the World Series, the first at home, then two at Cleveland. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- A CUBS POSTSEASON FIRST, PART 2: This is the first time the Cubs have played Game 4 of a best-of-five postseason series in which they trailed, two games to one. They have been down, 2-1, in six best-of-seven series: four World Series and two Championship Series. The only one of those games at home was in the 2016 World Series, when the Cubs lost to Cleveland, 7-2. They won, 10-2, at Los Angeles to even the 2016 Championship Series. Their only earlier win was against the White Sox, 1-0, in the 1906 World Series. The Cubs lost at Boston, 3-2, in the 1918 World Series; at Philadelphia, 10-8, in the 1929 World Series; and at San Francisco, 6-4, in the 1989 Championship Series. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- END THIS STREAK TONIGHT, PLEASE: The Cubs have scored no more than four runs in 14 consecutive postseason games, the third-longest such streak ever. The Dodgers went 18 in a row in 1916-47. The Twins tied them in 2006-2023. The Cubs have scored no more than four in 15 straight at home. The only team with a longer streak at home was the Cardinals: 20 in a row in 1930-46. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- THE BUSCH LEAGUE: Michael Busch, six games in the 2025 postseason: .300/.364/.750 (6-for-20) with three home runs. The three postseason home runs are tied for third-most in franchise history with Kris Bryant, Dexter Fowler, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Jorge Soler. Only Alex Gonzalez (4), Aramis Ramirez (4) and Kyle Schwarber (5) have more.
Cubs lineup:
Brewers lineup:
Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Freddy Peralta, RHP
The choice of Matthew Boyd to start Game 4 was going to be controversial after he lasted just two-thirds of an inning and 30 pitches in Game 1. That gives him a 9.00 ERA (11 earned runs in 11 innings) against the Brewers this year, combined between regular season and postseason.
Consider, though, that he’s on normal rest (four days) and that pitch count is pretty low. Further, Boyd has pitched very well at Wrigley Field this year (2.51 ERA in 15 starts, and the Cubs were 12-3 in those games). It’s certainly a defensible choice.
Lastly, in six starts at Wrigley Field this year where the temperature was 65 degrees or lower, which it will be tonight, Boyd posted a 1.95 ERA and 0.757 WHIP, with just two walks and 34 strikeouts in 37 innings. Hopefully the cooler weather will help him. It did in last year’s postseason for the Guardians, where he posted an ERA of 0.77 in three starts covering 11.2 innings, all in games with the game-time temp at 65 degrees or lower.
Freddy Peralta shut the Cubs down pretty well in Game 1 after Michael Busch led off the game with a home run. Ian Happ also homered off Peralta, but by then the Brewers had that game well in hand. Peralta also struck out nine.
He is going on four days’ rest, something he did 12 times this year with a 2.59 ERA, not much different than the 2.65 ERA he posted on more than four days’ rest (20 starts). However, per this article:
In 17 starts with exactly five days between outings, he owned a 0.982 WHIP and 3.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio; in the four times he went after six days or more off, he had a 0.851 WHIP and 4.17 K-to-BB.
Current Cubs are batting .161 (32-for-199) against Peralta with nine home runs, three of those by Busch. Peralta has a 4.11 career ERA at Wrigley Field in 11 games (nine starts) covering 46 innings.
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Today’s game is on TBS, truTV and streaming on HBO Max. Announcers: Alex Faust and Ron Darling, with reporter Lauren Jbara.
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
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The 2025 Game Thread procedure will be identical to previous years.
You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) live game discussion.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.
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The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
